DUCHESNE, ANDRE, a French historian, was born in 1581 at bile- Bouchard, a small town in the department of ludre-et-Loire. He commenced his studios at Loudon, and completed them at Paris under Juloa-Cdsar Boulanger. lie applied himself especially to geography and history, and became so greatly distinguished for his acquisitions in these two departments of knowledge as to obtain the patronage of Cardinal Richelieu and other noblemen of influence, and to be appointed successively geographer and historiographer to the king, Ho died in 1640, in consequence of having been crushed by a carriage when travelling from Paris to his country-residence.
Duchesne was a writer of considerable erudition and of the most laborious research in various departments of history. His works are so numerous and of such importance as to have acquired for him, per haps not unfairly, the title of the Father of French History.' Among the more important of his publications may be mentioned the fol lowing Historim Francorum Scriptores Coetanei,' 5 vols. folio, 1636, its ; Historic: Normannorum Scriptores Antiqui,' folio, Paris, 1619; Histoire des Role, Dues, et Comtes de Bourgogne depuis 403 jusqu'en 1350,' 4 vols. 4to, Paris, 1628; 7 vols. folio of Genealogical Histories
of various Families of French Nobility. Among his earlier works is a translation of the Satires' of Juvenal, with notes, which is now very scarce, 'Satires de Juvenal, traduites en Francois, avec dee Notes,' Svc), Paris, 1616. He appears also to have edited the first edition of the works of Abelard and Eloise, though many copies have the name of Francois d'Amboise in place of that of Andre Duchesne, 'Petri Abelarcli ct Heloisar Conjugis emus Opera, nunc primum edita ex MSS. Codd.,' 4to, Paris, 1616. Niceron makes the following remarks on this extraordinary fact :—"If it may be allowed to make a conjecture, one might believe that from some secret motive which it has not been thought proper to transmit to posterity, Duchesne may have relinquished the glory of his work to D'Amboise, who was then in a situation to recompense a sacrifice of this nature." Faenois DIICUESNE, son of Andre, who was born in 1616 and died in 1693, completed and published several of the works of his father, among which is the Histoirc des Chanceliers et Gerdes des Sceaux de France,' folio, 1630.
(Nouvelle Biographic Generale.)